Homeless woman charged with fatal beating of Keith West in his Uptown home

Jeff Mayes — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 12:14:18 -0600

By MITCHELL ARMENTROUT
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Sabrina Shaffer | Chicago Police

A homeless woman has been accused of fatally beating 63-year-old Keith West inside his Uptown neighborhood apartment last year on the North Side.

Sabrina Shaffer, 45, faces first-degree murder charges for the December 2015 attack at West’s home in the 4500 block of North Sheridan, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office

Someone called police for a well-being check after they hadn’t heard from West, and officers found him “seriously battered” inside the apartment about 3:45 p.m. Dec. 26, police said at the time.

West was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he died at 9:41 a.m. Dec. 28, authorities said. An autopsy did not rule on cause or manner of death, but police classified it a homicide.

Shaffer, whose home address is listed as the Pacific Garden Mission at 1458 S. Canal St., was arrested Wednesday and ordered held on a $750,000 bond at a Saturday hearing, according to Cook County Circuit Court records. She is due back in court Monday.

Sabrina Shaffer | Homicide Watch Chicago

Homeless woman charged with fatal beating of Keith West in his Uptown home